WISCONSIN RAPIDS – It took Jacob Bertagnoli several years of living in Wisconsin Rapids to discover the trails along the Wisconsin River.

And once he stumbled upon those paths, Bertagnoli, a social studies teacher at Lincoln High School, was shocked to see how infrequently people took advantage of the recreational areas.

"I'm an outdoor enthusiast; I love spending time outside," he said. "It always felt like to me that the parks and rivers were underutilized."

Bertagnoli, 31, said he hopes the Tribune Building Project will change that.

Jacob Bertagnoli, 31, is a social studies teacher at Lincoln High School.(Photo: Contributed.)

In 2012, Incourage Community Foundation purchased the 20,000-square-foot Tribune Building, 220 First Ave. S., with the vision of creating a community project that would allow residents to participate in the process to determine what the facility would become.

Since then, it has been decided that the building — formerly the home of Daily Tribune Media along the Wisconsin River — will house a microbrewery, a cafe/brewpub, a culinary kitchen and a recreational rental facility, among other amenities. Incourage chose these specific building features through conversations with residents at the foundation's regular community meetings.

For some young adults in the area, the Tribune Building Project signifies a promising future for Wisconsin Rapids. They hope the new hub will infuse the downtown area with activity, attract more people and become a kind of meeting ground for community members.

Downtown revitalization

With the facility's microbrewery, cafe/brewpub and recreational attractions, some hope that the Tribune Building Project will bring the downtown area back into the spotlight and lure other businesses to set up shop.

"If we're really going to attract and retain young adults and families, I think it's really important to revitalize our city — especially downtown," said Heidi Goodreau, who has lived in Wisconsin Rapids with her husband for nine years.

Goodreau is a mother of two and has attended many of the project's community meetings. She hopes the site makes Wisconsin Rapids a destination for young adults and young families.

"Why not just make Rapids a place to come? Instead of us, going out to (Stevens) Point to go out to dinner, why not have people from Point come down here?" Goodreau said.

Bertagnoli, who is an active participant in the project, said he would like the building's recreational rental facility — which will lease out equipment for river activities — to bring more attention to the Wisconsin River's offerings. This venue, along with the microbrewery, will make the city more appealing to potential workers, Bertagnoli said. This is particularly important, he noted, as baby boomers begin to retire.

"The data is out there that there's going to be all these jobs opening in the near future," Bertagnoli said. "The more options and opportunities we have for young professionals, the better off we are going to be."

"I feel like our community is competing for a talented labor force, and we need to be able to attract college graduates and skilled workers to our areas," he continued.

The Tribune Building Project is not solely about the end product for these young adults. For some, the community meetings and the process of deciding what the Tribune Building will become is more meaningful.

Bertagnoli, who has lived in Wisconsin Rapids since 2008, said his immersion into the Tribune Building Project helped him connect with other community members.

"After being part of (a) project like this, I feel like I have some ownership of this community," Bertagnoli said.

Ben Joosten, 19, is a student at Mid-State Technical College studying business management with an entrepreneurial focus. He has attended almost all the Tribune Building Project's meetings and is interested in the creative workshops the building will offer.

The community meetings, he said, taught him a lot about the city's history.

"I think I've learned more about (Wisconsin) Rapids' past from going to these meetings, than any other way," Joosten said.

Katrina Hittner, 27, is co-owner of Family Natural Foods and also has attended all the community meetings. She said it was refreshing to see engagement involving residents across generations at the community meetings.